Cruel Minds Read Online Free PDF Page B

Rover.
    “Sorry about that,” Marcia called from the front. “It’s going to be a bit of a rough ride from here.”
    The vehicle’s passengers bounced up and down as its wheels ran in and out of large potholes. Emily couldn’t hide her amusement as Jerome held onto the passenger door, the barrel of red wine he’d sunk the night before now threatening to resurface. The road, if it could be called that, plunged back into the forest. Marcia shifted gears and threaded the steering wheel between her hands. The Land Rover slid off the gravel and dove head on into the trees. Soon, they were weaving between towering trunks, following a muddy track.
    “Have either of you visited a retreat before?” Marcia asked as she expertly steered the vehicle around a large fallen branch.
    Emily shook her head. “It’s our first time.”
    She was suddenly thrown forwards as the vehicle headed down a stony incline. All around, the forest stirred.
    “Well, Meadow Pines isn’t your typical retreat,” Marcia said when they were on flat ground again.
    “What do you mean?”
    “Pamela will explain when we get there.”
    “How many other guests are staying?”
    “We have a full house, so including the both of you and one other latecomer, that makes nine.”
    A flurry of birds whipped past the front of the Land Rover and arched up towards the branches. The deeper the vehicle moved into the forest, the less light there was. It was like being underwater, Emily thought.
    Of all the retreats she’d researched, Meadow Pines had been one of the remotest. It wasn’t easy getting away from people in a country as small as Great Britain. Sometimes, she wished she lived somewhere like America, where it would be easy to travel to places so remote that you could go weeks without seeing another face. Short of scouring the country for a cave to dwell in, hiding out in the heart of the New Forest seemed liked the most viable alternative. But now, as they drove closer to their destination, Emily wondered about the other guests. Seven wasn’t a huge number to contend with, but they would all be staying under one roof. It would just take one of them to recognise her from the newspapers and then, any chance of a peaceful weekend would be blown.
    As if reading her mind, Marcia said, “It’s a big house with plenty of room, so people manage to stay out of each other’s hair. Plus, we have forty acres of private land for you to explore. It’s mostly forest but we also have our own lake. Either of you like to garden?”
    Tightening his grip on the passenger door, Jerome glared at Emily.
    “I used to, before moving to London,” she said.
    “Well, we grow all of our own vegetables at Meadow Pines, so we always appreciate any help out in the field. In fact, we’re getting pretty self-sufficient. If Pamela had her way we’d be living fully off the grid, but we can’t afford the initial expense of providing our own power sources. At least, not yet.”
    Emily watched the trees whistle past as the Land Rover continued its journey. “It sounds beautiful.”
    A few minutes later, just as Jerome’s nausea was reaching uncontainable levels, Marcia brought the Land Rover to a halt but kept the engine running. A wide field gate blocked the way. Marcia fished out a bunch of keys from her jacket pocket, selected one, and handed it to Emily.
    “Would you mind?”
    Taking the key, Emily hopped out of the Land Rover. All around her, birds sang in choruses. She moved up to the gate, unlocked the padlock that kept it secure, then waved the Land Rover through. Once she’d locked the gate again, she jogged up to the vehicle and jumped in. A few minutes later, the track opened up onto a wide, grassy clearing.
    Marcia hit the brakes and killed the engine.
    “We have to walk from here,” she said. “It’s not far.”
    Heaving their bags onto their shoulders, Emily and Jerome followed their guide across the clearing.
    “How are you enjoying yourself so far?” Emily